All Saints of North America Orthodox Church offers several Online Catechism Classes which you can participate in. The teacher is Fr. John Peck. Classes are taught LIVE, and each class is a live presentation of the topic, allowing for live question, answers, and interactive discussion.

Inquirers at All Saints of North America or our satellites
take the classes for free.

It’s $25/month or about $100 for the whole group of 20 lessons. You can also get instant access to all past class recordings for $35/month (if you’re impatient!)

The Catechism class is intended for those who have already been through the New Member Class. If you have not attended or participated in a New Member Class, you should get in touch with Fr. John to make arrangements to attend one and then get permission to join the online Catechism Class.

If you are not a member or inquirer of All Saints of North America, or one of her satellite missions, you can still join our online class!

Common questions

My formation as a catechumen wasn’t very thorough? May I join and learn?

Of course. We know that not everyone has the same accessibility to good instruction, and this class will fill in any gaps you had in your catechumenate.

I have no Orthodox Church near me, but still would like to learn? May I join?

Yes, this class is LIVE and online, designed specifically for folks like you.

What if I’m already Orthodox? May I take the class?

Yes, anyone who is already in the Church, but would like to participate in a LIVE online discussion of theological topics is welcome to join us!

What if I miss a class or come in after the first class? What do I do?

Just keep attending – we cycle through 20 different lessons, and once the last lesson is given, the first lesson is given again. OR you can move up a tier in support and access all prerecorded classes and the downloadable notes at your leisure. It’s up to you, but you won’t miss a thing.

Is this supposed to take the place of a parish?

No, of course not. Orthodox Christianity is a living faith, and you get it from living persons by being connected to a local, living parish; but if you do not have a local parish, or you’d like to learn more about your faith, or get some specific answers that you aren’t getting answered, this class is for you. There is NO SUBSTITUTE for active parish membership by believing Christians.

On Saturday, February 24th, Presvytera Deborah will be hosting a Prosphora Bread Baking Class at our home.

Space is limited (our kitchen is small!), so let her know as soon as possible if you plan to attend.

About Prosphora

A prosphoron (Greek: πρόσφορον, offering) is a small loaf of leavened bread used in Orthodox Christian liturgies. The plural form is prosphora (πρόσφορα). The term originally meant any offering made to a temple, but in Orthodox Christianity it has come to mean specifically the bread offered at the Divine Liturgy (Eucharist).

Prosphoro is made from only four ingredients, wheat flour (white), yeast, salt, and water. Salt was not used in early times, and is still not used in the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem.

Any member of the church who is in good standing and whose conscience is clean may bake prosphora. Often in a parish church the women will take turns baking the prosphora; in monasteries, the task is often assigned by the Hegumen (abbot or abbess) to one or several monastics of virtuous life.

It is common but not necessary to go to confession before baking prosphora, and it is often done in the morning while fasting. Sometimes, special kitchen implements are used for making the prosphora which are used for no other purpose. There may be special prayers said before commencing, and the baker tries to maintain a religious state of mind throughout, often saying the Jesus Prayer. Usually enough prosphora for a number of services are baked at the same time.

A prosphoron is made up of two separate round pieces of leavened dough which are placed one on top of another and baked together to form a single loaf. This double-loaf represents the two natures of Christ: human and divine. Before baking, each prosphoron is stamped with a special seal called sphragis or Panagiari usually bearing, among other things, the image of a cross with the Greek letters IC XC NIKA (“Jesus Christ conquers”) around the arms of the cross. This impression is baked into the bread and serves as a guide for the priest who will be cutting it.

In the Slavic practice (Russian Orthodox, Bulgarian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox, etc.) five smaller prosphora are used (in commemoration of the five loaves Jesus used to feed the multitudes). In the Greek practice one larger prosphoron is used (in commemoration that all share in one “Bread” 1 Cor 10:16-17).